Chapter Sixty-Six Government Decrees

The midday sun in mid-June was so intense that it made people feel sluggish.

Having just paid the head tax, every household felt like their belts had been tightened, and their wallets were noticeably emptier.

When Xiong Zixiang returned from his shift, he looked preoccupied, unlike his usual relaxed demeanor.

"What's wrong?" Zhang Liuyi was squatting in front of the stove, tending the fire, with vegetable porridge simmering in the pot. She looked up at him and said, "You're back early today. Why don't you look well?"

Xiong Zixiang untied his belt, draped it over the door frame, and sighed.

"I ran into Lord Cai, the magistrate, today. We chatted for a bit, and he gave me a heads-up that the officials from the prefectural city are coming down to inspect."

"Patrol?" Zhang Xiaoyi paused, holding the fire tongs in his hand. "Again? Didn't they just come once last year?"

"Who knows what the higher-ups are up to?" Xiong Zixiang walked to the water vat, scooped up half a ladle of cold water to extinguish his anger, and then wiped his mouth. "Lord Cai said he reckons our county office will be busy. He's in charge of household registration, and he's not at ease."

Zhang Liuyi stirred the fire in the stove to make the porridge boil faster: "So what if you're busy? Our county magistrate is very upright and incorruptible. Anping County is quite prosperous, and I haven't heard of any major financial problems. It's just a matter of you patrolling the streets more often and making a few more trips."

Xiong Zixiang thought about it and realized that it made sense. He was just a minor official, and the work assigned to him was nothing more than running a few more errands. At most, he could give his brothers a few extra coins to get them some extra bowls of cold tea.

As for Registrar Qian… he secretly felt a little happy, but his face remained calm and composed.

His lazy, leisurely lifestyle of drinking tea, reading, and wasting his days should really be put on a lower pedestal.

This is truly a good thing for him.

Xiong Zixiang sat down on a small stool in front of the stove and poked at the fire: "I'm not afraid of the inspection itself, but I'm mainly afraid that this official from the prefectural city is too arrogant."

Let's take it one step at a time.

Not long after, the inspector from the prefectural city arrived.

The procession wasn't large; it consisted of a blue cloth mule cart and two attendants.

This official looked to be in his forties or fifties, with a dark complexion, wearing a silk jacket, speaking slowly and deliberately, and not displaying any official airs.

He seemed alright; he wasn't pretentious. He could accompany the county magistrate to the fields to inspect the crops and also travel long distances to check on the dikes.

It's just that her mouth is a bit too picky.

"Sir, the yamen's kitchen..." The county magistrate began cautiously, but was stopped by the inspector raising his hand.

"Oh, no need to trouble the government."

The inspector stroked his beard, his smile warm: "My purpose in coming here is to observe the people's conditions. How could I disturb the local area? I've heard that Fumanlou Restaurant in your county is a local specialty with a great reputation. I've long admired it. Let's have a meal there."

The county magistrate and the county assistant exchanged a glance. The magistrate's smile remained unchanged, but he was inwardly groaning.

Fu Man Lou is the most expensive restaurant in Anping City; a single meal there can cost him half a month's salary.

But he couldn't say that, so he could only agree: "Yes, yes, I will arrange it right away."

For seven or eight days in a row, this inspector dined at Fu Man Lou restaurant every meal.

The county magistrate had to pay out of his own pocket, which made his already meager life even worse.

After seeing this, Xiong Zixiang couldn't help but go home and gossip to Zhang Yili: "You didn't see it, our county magistrate's face was as green as a vegetable leaf. I bet that one meal made his heart ache!"

Zhang Liuyi clicked his tongue in amazement: "Wow, this adult really knows how to eat!"

Before leaving, the county magistrate accompanied him on a tour of various places, and naturally they arrived at the busy dock.

The river breeze, carrying moisture, dissipated some of the midday heat.

The dock was bustling with people, filled with shouts and calls.

The aroma of the pork belly and lung soup stall wafted far and wide.

"Oh?" The inspector sniffed, intrigued. "This aroma is quite enticing. What is it?"

The magistrate hurriedly replied, "Your Excellency, it's tripe and lung soup. The ingredients are high-quality, the broth is rich, and it's run by the wife of my subordinate, Constable Xiong."

"Oh? Pork belly and lung soup?" The inspector nodded.

“That’s right,” the magistrate replied.

"Hmm, since it's the family of the constable, and the aroma is really enticing, I'd like to have a taste."

As the inspector spoke, he actually walked up to the stall and sat down on a simple bench.

Zhang Liuyi was busy at his stall when he saw the county magistrate accompanying an unfamiliar adult, and his heart pounded with apprehension.

This must be an inspector from the prefectural city. He was even more nervous when ladling soup, afraid of spilling it.

I quickly ladled out a bowl of the richest and hottest tripe and lung soup and presented it with both hands.

The inspector took the rough porcelain bowl without complaint, blew on it to cool it down, and sipped the hot liquid.

After finishing the hot soup, he smacked his lips, picked up a piece of stewed lung that was cooked until tender, chewed it, and nodded: "Hmm, the soup is rich and flavorful, and the ingredients are of high quality. Not bad."

Upon receiving this comment, Zhang Liuyi finally felt relieved, and the county magistrate's face also showed a bit more of a smile.

After finally getting rid of the large Buddha statue, everyone in the county government breathed a sigh of relief, thinking they could relax for a few days.

Xiong Zixiang also felt that he had done everything he needed to do, and the inspector seemed quite satisfied while drinking the soup, so the matter was now over.

Little did they know, before they could even catch their breath, the real storm was just beginning.

The official documents arrived from the prefectural city by fast horse; it wasn't just one document, but a thick stack!

One government decree after another was issued to him.

The sloping land within the territory should be terraced within a specified time limit to increase grain production.

Widening and reinforcing the Zhuoshui River wharf will benefit commercial transport.

Dredging of waterways and reinforcement of dikes are necessary to prevent summer floods.

Lord Cai, the clerk, held the stack of official documents, his hands trembling.

Is it really true that what you fear most is what happens?

Why are all the tasks piled up on his head in the Household Registration Department?

Building terraces and reinforcing dikes is fine; it can conscript laborers, and we can just collect less tax next year.

Expandable wharf?

What about those stalls and sheds along the dock? What about the laborers?

When the news reached the prison, Xiong Zixiang was making arrangements with his colleagues.

Upon hearing about expanding the docks, he jumped to his feet, his face turning ashen. He quickly checked in and said, "There's an emergency at home!"

He grabbed his waist token, rushed out of the county government office, and ran home.

Zhang Liuyi was drying bean curd cloth in the yard. The sun had dried the washed cloth almost completely, so she came to turn it over.

Seeing Xiong Zixiang rush in like a whirlwind, panting heavily, I was startled and my heart skipped a beat: "What happened? What's wrong? Why are you running like this?"

Xiong Zixiang, supporting himself on his knees and panting heavily, quickly recounted the newly issued decrees of the prefectural city.

"Expand...expand the dock?"

Zhang Xiaoyi's cloth fell to the ground with a thud, and his face turned pale: "Then...then we can't do business at this stall?"

"I'm afraid... it can't be done for the time being." Xiong Zixiang's voice was deep and he was panting. "If we want to start construction on that area, we'll definitely have to clear the site."

"Good heavens!" Zhang Yili felt his vision go black, his legs went weak, and he almost sat down on the ground, but Xiong Zixiang caught him.

"What...what am I going to do! I finally...finally built up some popularity and started making some money...this...is this going to cut off my livelihood?" She panicked; this was an unexpected turn of events.

The stall at the dock was the livelihood of two families, with the older sister and Xiao Bao especially hoping to improve their lives with this money.

"Don't panic, my wife!"

Xiong Zixiang helped her steady herself, knowing she couldn't panic and that he was the one to keep an eye on her, so she forced herself to remain calm.

"We need to come up with a solution quickly. Here's what we'll do: Go and call Dad, Uncle, and everyone else, including Brother Liuji and Sister Xiulan! Let's discuss it together!"

"Yes! Yes! Let's think about it together!"

Zhang Yili grasped at a straw and turned to run out the door, not even caring about the bean curd cloth that had fallen to the ground.

Before long, the small courtyard was packed with people.

Even Zhang Liuji put down his carpentry work and rushed over.

The small courtyard suddenly felt incredibly crowded.

Xiong Zixiang then explained the situation in detail again.

"My God!"

The Song family member was the first to exclaim, "This...this stall is just banned like that? What are we going to eat? What are we going to live on?"

Old Xiong squatted against the wall, puffing on his pipe, his brows furrowed into a deep frown.

“Building terraced fields and reinforcing dikes are the right things to do... but why did they have to involve us in expanding the wharf? This is going to kill people!”

Zhang Dashan shook his head worriedly: "That's right! This business is something our two families have worked tirelessly to get up and running! We've been through so much trouble, rain or shine..."

Zhang Dahe sighed, "If this breaks down, how will we live from now on?"

Li Xiulan held Xiao Nan'er and looked at Zhang Yili with a worried expression.

"Hey, could we...could we set up our stall somewhere else? There are a lot of people around Xishikou, maybe that would work?"

Zhang Liuyi shook his head, his brows furrowed.

“Sister-in-law, Xishikou is lively, but the food stalls there are crowded like a market, and they don’t have any variety. Our tripe and lung soup and porridge are nothing special there, and we probably can’t compete with them.”

Xiong Zijuan held Xiaobao in her arms without saying a word, but her face was pale and her lips were tightly pressed together.

"Then...what should we do?" Mrs. Song paced anxiously. "We can't just sit at home and wait to starve, can we?"

"How about we buy a shop?" Zhang Liuji, who had been silent all along, suddenly spoke up from the corner.

The courtyard fell silent instantly, and everyone turned to look at him.

Zhang Liuji looked up and said, "Let's go to the county town and buy a shop near the river and the dock. It doesn't need to be too big, just big enough to set up a stove, table, and chairs."

"The initial investment is substantial. For the first year or two, you might not see any return and will have to keep subsidizing it. But the shop is your own, so it's secure. You don't have to worry about wind or rain, or the government taking over the place with a single word. As long as you have the skills and are hardworking, you'll eventually break even. If you do well, you might even earn more than you would from a street stall."

After he finished speaking, he looked at Li Xiulan and asked, "Xiulan, can we take out the money that our family has saved?"

Li Xiulan paused for a moment, then nodded emphatically: "Yes!"

Without saying a word, she turned around and walked home.

By saving money and doing carpentry work over the years, I have indeed saved up some money, which I plan to use for building a house in the future and for emergencies.

Zhang Liuji then looked at Zhang Liuyi and Xiong Zixiang, saying, "You two probably saved up some money too. I also have some, which I've saved from taking on jobs over the past few years. Consider it my share for Xiulan."

Zhang Yili and Xiong Zixiang were both stunned.

Old Xiong tapped his pipe on the sole of his shoe, and ash fell in a flurry.

He spoke up too: "Zixiang's mother, how much do we have left?"

Madam Song quickly replied, "There are still some! Not many, but enough to make up the numbers!"

As she spoke, she hurriedly went into her house to get the money.

Xiong Zixiang's throat tightened slightly: "Father, Mother..."

Old Man Xiong waved his hand.

“We’re family, no need for formalities! This stall is a business for both of us; if it closes down, neither of us will be happy. Buying a shop is a long-term solution! We have to help keep an eye on things and help my daughter maintain this business.”

She noticed her nose was a little sore, but she tried her best to hold it in.

The panic in my heart was washed away by a warm current.

She took a deep breath and straightened her back: "Great! Let's buy a shop! With everyone's help, we'll definitely get through this!"

Xiong Zijuan nodded vigorously and hugged Xiaobao even tighter.

The decision was made, but lying on the kang (a heated brick bed) that night, Zhang Xiaoyi tossed and turned, unable to fall asleep.

Xiong Zixiang also opened his eyes, staring at the dark roof beams.

"Brother Zixiang, are you asleep?" Zhang Liuyi turned over, leaned closer, and lowered his voice: "I'm still... worried. So much money has been invested, what if... what if the shop doesn't open, or we don't make a profit? What will we use to leave money for Brother Ji and our parents?"

Xiong Zixiang sighed, put his arm around her shoulder, kissed her cheek, and encouraged her, "You have to leave, even if you're afraid. This business is definitely going to fail. If you don't move forward, I'll go hungry with you. What I'm most worried about is your sister... Think about it, with the dock closed... Wang Tiezhu won't have any money left either..."

Thinking about it carefully, it makes sense; there's really no way out now: "That's right, if we pay more attention and work harder, there'll always be a way to survive."